PUBG Mobile has been banned in the Indian cities of Rajkot and Surat and any person found playing the game in public places is bound to be penalized. According to a notification released by Rajkot City Police, people are now forbidden to play the popular battle royale title until April 30.
Interestingly though, the circular also states that individuals found playing PUBG Mobile or taking part in the Momo Challenge will be prosecuted under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1973 and Section 37 (3) of the Gujarat Police Act. Both of these acts allow the administration to prevent a public gathering of more than four people in the area it’s imposed.
The Gujarat administration has imposed the ban on PUBG Mobile stating the increasing violent instability in children and youth. Furthermore, there have been cases where kids have been hooked on to the game which has impacted their grades in school. Considering most of the school-going kids have their annual examinations in progress, the administration sees this as the perfect duration to put a ban on the game.
PUBG Mobile is the most popular game in India at the moment and this is the first time that such an action has been taken against a game. The game has been going through this ordeal since quite some time now and now with the actual ban in place, it will be viewed in a bad light altogether.
Earlier, Tencent Games had released a statement saying that they are going to work with parents, educators and the government to increase the experience of playing PUBG Mobile and to provide it responsibly. The company had also revealed that they were working on certain new features that will enable a better environment for players.
PUBG Mobile boasts of over 30 million daily active users and has a 16+ age rating on Google Play Store.
